The upcoming weekend will witness the inaugural county finals of the Safaricom Chapa Dimba football tournament taking place in Vihiga County. In the Boys Category, the finalists Ebwali Boys and Bunyore Assassins are gearing up to compete intensely. Meanwhile, Madira Girls and the Maroon Queens are preparing to face off on Saturday at Mumboha Stadium in Luanda in the Girls Category.
After the Vihiga finals, the Busia, Kakamega, and Bungoma County finals will take place on the weekend of August 12th and 13th. Following these county-level competitions, the victors will progress to the Western regional finals scheduled for the end of the month at the iconic Bukhungu Stadium. The journey in the Western region was inaugurated in June at the ward level, involving a grand total of 441 teams. Among the quartet of counties, Kakamega led the pack with the highest participation, boasting 162 teams, trailed by Bungoma (152), Busia (64), and Vihiga (63).
We are glad to be back on the pitch and look forward to discovering new talent during this fourth season of Safaricom Chapa Dimba. Launching the county finals in the Western region was a given because of the interest shown going by the number of teams that registered to participate; almost triple the number from the third season. When many young people hope for a career in football, it is only natural that we give them a platform to explore their talent,” said Chris Amimo, FKF Tournament Director.
“We started at the ward and sub-county levels. As we now proceed to the county finals in anticipation for the regional finals, I can attest that the talent at the grassroots level is remarkable. After Western, we move to Nyanza region as we spread out to other regions across the country. We continue to scout some of the best talents from these grassroot games giving them a chance even if their teams do not make it to the regional and national finals,” said Mr. Amimo.
Safaricom Chapa Dimba’s objective is to establish a well-organized platform where scouts and coaches can identify untapped talent and establish development pipelines for the various football leagues in Kenya. Simultaneously, the initiative also intends to train a group of 250 coaches. The focal point of this football tournament is the age group of 16 to 20 years, catering to the aspirations of young individuals.
Registration is currently ongoing across different regions in the country. The group stages will be played at the grassroots level, with successful teams qualifying for the regional finals across the eight regions. For more information on how to register and/or get match fixtures, visit this site.